Removing achievements on resume

[hustlebunny]

Hi all,

 

Got advice from an expert to remove everything I achieved during my undergrad and grad year like fellowship,deans merit list, awards, community involvement, GPA (3.8) and just leave work related stuff and what I studied.

 

For those searching for jobs/ who have, is this advisable? competition is cut throat for jobs..and I always had the understanding that they look for candidates beyond academics...please chime in   

[TakeruK]

I would agree with this advice. I am not sure what kind of jobs you mean (academic or not etc.) but I think in both cases, once you are finished with your undergraduate degree, there really is no point in listing things like "Dean's Honour List" or equivalent. I would keep the focus of the resume/CV strictly to what employable skills and work experience you have to offer. 

 

The only time I would put these items on the CV is for graduate school applications, because grad schools are interested in your experience and accomplishments as a student as well as a worker in your field. 

[Vene]

From my experience in industry less is more. HR doesn't want to go through a multi-page resume. Keep it short and to the point. It is a good idea to add in a few highlights from what you've done. If you want to go into any detail that's what a cover letter is for, but even still keep it focused on accomplishments and what it means to the company. They don't care if you won a fellowship, they care that you're able to take an idea, turn it into an actionable plan, and follow through to finish a project.

And yes, leave off your GPA. You're past undergrad so it doesn't matter and GPA from a graduate program means nothing.

[went_away]

Depends on the field, the job, and the person reading the resume (i.e. if you're applying for a research based position, your GPA is very relevant). Personally I've found listing a few academic achievements to be helpful and interviewers point them out during the interview. Just keep it concise and try to frame everything with an eye to the position for which you are applying.  

[TakeruK]

Depends on the field, the job, and the person reading the resume (i.e. if you're applying for a research based position, your GPA is very relevant). Personally I've found listing a few academic achievements to be helpful and interviewers point them out during the interview. Just keep it concise and try to frame everything with an eye to the position for which you are applying.  

 

If you are a current undergraduate student applying for research positions meant for undergraduate students (or a recent graduate) then GPA might be something they care about. I wouldn't be sure about putting it on the resume though--if the employer cares about your grades, they will signal this by asking you to include a transcript in your application.

 

However, beyond this, very few research positions will ask for your GPA. Many of my friends have applied for post-PhD research positions and no one needed to supply their GPA or even their transcripts. Like Vene said, at this point, your undergrad grades are outdated and not meaningful and grad school grades do not really have meaning either. 

 

I agree that perhaps a few academic achievements might be helpful if you don't have more directly relevant skills. I found that in my interviews (for academic and non-academic jobs), the interviewer tries to find something to point out / discuss further on the resume. So in this sense, having academic things might be a bad thing because they might (randomly) choose to point out e.g. a Dean's Honour List line instead of something that might have more relevance to the job you're applying for and then you end up spending 2 minutes talking about that instead of how you are qualified for the job. 

 

If you do list academic achievements, I think you should limit it to the really outstanding ones, i.e. the ones where you are one of a few people that achieve it (e.g. Best Undergraduate Thesis), not something that every top candidate would have (e.g. Dean's Honour List).

 

I should say that this has been my experience, which is subjective of course, and I'm sure the differences in the types of jobs, fields, and location/culture can make this advice useless! But I wanted to add my experience for you to consider too.

[reinhard]

I would agree with this advice. I am not sure what kind of jobs you mean (academic or not etc.) but I think in both cases, once you are finished with your undergraduate degree, there really is no point in listing things like "Dean's Honour List" or equivalent. I would keep the focus of the resume/CV strictly to what employable skills and work experience you have to offer. 

 

The only time I would put these items on the CV is for graduate school applications, because grad schools are interested in your experience and accomplishments as a student as well as a worker in your field. 

I think scholarships you earned or won may still be relevant. BUt I would never put my GPA on a CV no matter how high it is.

[went_away]

Yep, it really depends on the job and the field you are applying for - research position at a public policy focused think tank - academic achievements are probably relevant, helpful, and necessary. Business development or sales position? Probably not relevant at all. Regardless, your academic record becomes less and less helpful as you get deeper into your career. 

 

Another thing to think about - show them the money. If a school paid you to study there or has awarded you an impressively large scholarship for your leadership/work experience/academic achievements, that might be worth highlighting. 

 

If you do find yourself talking excessively about academic achievements in the interview, that may be a sign that you should practice your pivoting skills - learn how to succinctly point out the relevance of this particular achievement to the position you are applying for and seamlessly transition into another experience that illustrates your preparation/excitement for the position. 

 

In short - competition for jobs is intense and you want your most impressive and compelling achievements on your resume.